Methods and apparatuses are provided for indicating a discovery signal resource by a User Equipment (UE) performing device-to-device communication. The UE receives information relating to the device-to-device communication from a base station. A synchronization signal including discovery signal-related information, is transmitted from the UE to a nearby UE, based on the information relating to the device-to-device communication. A discovery is performed based on the discovery signal-related information.
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1. A method of performing device-to-device communication by a terminal, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, at the terminal, information relating to the device-to-device communication from a base station, the information relating to the device-to-device communication including information relating to discovery signal resource configuration information and information for allocating a resource on discovery signal resource configuration information; transmitting the discovery signal resource configuration information, from the terminal, to another terminal, which does not receive the information relating to the device-to-device communication from the base station, based on the information relating to the device-to-device communication; and after the discovery signal resource configuration information is transmitted, transmitting, at the terminal, a discovery signal associated with information on the terminal to the another terminal, using at least one resource identified based on the discovery signal resource configuration information.
A device (UE) performs device-to-device (D2D) communication by first receiving D2D communication information from a base station. This information specifies how to configure discovery signal resources and how to allocate resources within that configuration. The device then transmits this discovery signal resource configuration to another device that *doesn't* receive information from the base station. Finally, the first device transmits a discovery signal containing its own information using the resource(s) defined by the resource configuration sent earlier. This allows nearby devices to discover the transmitting device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the device-to-device communication further comprises at least one of information on a communication resource allocated for the device-to-device communication, information on the discovery signal, and information on whether the terminal should transmit the discovery signal resource configuration information.
The device-to-device communication process from the previous description includes additional information from the base station: communication resources specifically allocated for device-to-device communication, information related to the discovery signal itself (e.g. format), and an indication whether the device should transmit the discovery signal resource configuration to neighboring devices at all. The base station dynamically controls the device's behavior through these parameters, enabling flexible management of D2D discovery.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the discovery signal resource configuration information includes further transmitting at least one of: frequency information of the discovery signal, type information of the discovery signal, an identifier of the terminal transmitting the discovery signal resource configuration information, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and information on a reference signal.
When the device transmits the discovery signal resource configuration as described earlier, it also sends other information to aid in discovery: the frequency of the discovery signal, the type or format of the discovery signal, a unique identifier of the transmitting device, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used, and reference signal information for signal quality estimation. This supplementary information helps receiving devices to properly decode and interpret the discovery signal.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in a synchronization signal, and wherein the synchronization signal further includes a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal, the first synchronization signal comprises information on a sub-frame resource usable for transmission and reception of the discovery signal, and the second synchronization signal comprises information on a relation between a current radio frame and a next radio frame including the discovery signal resource configuration information.
The discovery signal resource configuration from the initial description is embedded within a synchronization signal. This synchronization signal is composed of two parts: a first synchronization signal conveying information about sub-frame resources available for transmitting and receiving the discovery signal, and a second synchronization signal detailing the relationship between the current radio frame and the *next* radio frame that contains the discovery signal resource configuration. This allows devices to locate the configuration over time.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in a synchronization signal, and wherein the synchronization signal further includes a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal, the first synchronization signal comprises a period of a radio frame including the discovery signal resource configuration information, an offset of the radio frame within the period, and a sub-frame resource usable for transmission and reception of the discovery signal within the radio frame, and the second synchronization signal comprises information on an index of a current radio frame.
The discovery signal resource configuration is included in a synchronization signal. The synchronization signal contains two parts: the first synchronization signal provides the radio frame period containing the configuration, an offset of the radio frame within the period, and the specific sub-frame resources available for discovery signal transmission/reception *within* the radio frame. The second synchronization signal includes an index representing the current radio frame. This enables devices to locate the configuration based on its timing.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in all radio frames or one or more select radio frames according to a pre-defined period, and wherein, within a radio frame having the discovery signal resource configuration information, the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in a part or all of symbol intervals of at least one sub-frame.
The discovery signal resource configuration is either included in every radio frame, or in specific radio frames selected based on a pre-defined period. Within a radio frame that *does* contain the configuration, the configuration data can be included in either a portion or all of the symbol intervals within at least one sub-frame. This flexibility in placement allows for balancing resource utilization and discovery speed.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: monitoring a device-to-device communication synchronization request signal, the monitoring being configured by the information relating to device-to-device communication from the base station; and upon receiving the device-to-device communication synchronization request signal from the another terminal, reporting the device-to-device communication synchronization request to the base station.
The device monitors for a device-to-device synchronization request signal. The base station configures *how* this monitoring is performed. If the device receives this request signal from another device, it then reports this synchronization request back to the base station. This allows the base station to orchestrate D2D communication by allocating necessary resources or adjusting parameters.
8. A method of performing device-to-device communication by a terminal, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, at the terminal, which does not receive information relating to the device to device communication from a base station, discovery signal resource configuration information from another terminal, which does receive the information relating to the device-to-device communication from the base station, and the information relating to the device-to-device communication includes information relating to discovery signal resource configuration information and information for allocating a resource on the discovery signal resource configuration information; and after the discovery signal resource configuration information is received, receiving, at the terminal, a discovery signal associated with information on the another terminal from the another terminal, using at least one resource identified based on the discovery signal resource configuration information.
A device that does *not* receive direct information from a base station participates in device-to-device (D2D) communication by: first, receiving discovery signal resource configuration from another device which *does* receive information from the base station, and where that information includes both the resource configuration details and information on how to allocate resources using that configuration. Second, after receiving this configuration, the device receives a discovery signal from that other device, using the resources identified within the configuration. This enables indirect discovery.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the discovery signal resource configuration information includes further receiving at least one of: frequency information of the discovery signal, type information of the discovery signal, an identifier of the terminal transmitting the discovery signal resource configuration information, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and information on a reference signal.
When the device receives the discovery signal resource configuration as described in the previous description, it also receives additional information: the discovery signal's frequency, its type or format, the transmitting device's identifier, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) being used, and reference signal information. This extra information helps the receiving device decode and understand the discovery signal sent by the other device.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting a device-to-device synchronization request signal for requesting a synchronization signal, from the terminal to the another terminal, wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in the synchronization signal.
The device transmits a device-to-device synchronization request signal to another device, requesting a synchronization signal. The discovery signal resource configuration is included in this synchronization signal, enabling the requesting device to learn how to discover the other device.
11. A method of performing device-to-device communication by a base station in communication with a terminal, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, by the base station, a device-to-device communication service request from the terminal; and transmitting information relating to the device-to-device communication, from the base station, to the terminal, wherein the information relating to the device-to-device communication includes information relating to discovery signal resource configuration information and information for allocating a resource on discovery signal resource configuration information, wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is transmitted by the terminal to the another terminal, which does not receive the information relating to the device-to-device communication from the base station, and wherein a discovery signal, which is associated with information on the terminal, is transmitted by the terminal to the another terminal using at least one resource identified based on the discovery signal resource configuration information, after the discovery signal resource configuration information is transmitted.
A base station facilitates device-to-device (D2D) communication. It receives a D2D service request from a device and then transmits D2D communication information to that device. This information includes details on how to configure discovery signal resources and how to allocate resources. The device then transmits this resource configuration to another device that does *not* receive information from the base station. Finally, the original device sends a discovery signal to the other device using the configured resources.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the information relating to the device-to-device communication comprises: configuring monitoring of a device-to-device communication synchronization request signal and a resource for the monitoring for the terminal, in order to determine whether it is necessary to transmit a synchronization signal; and upon receiving a report of detection of the device-to-device communication synchronization request from the terminal, transmitting the information relating to the device-to-device communication, wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in the synchronization signal.
The base station, when sending the device-to-device communication information, configures the device to monitor for a D2D synchronization request signal and allocates a resource for this monitoring. This helps the base station determine whether a synchronization signal needs to be transmitted. If the device reports detecting a D2D synchronization request, the base station then transmits the device-to-device communication information, which includes the discovery signal resource configuration within the synchronization signal.
13. A terminal for performing device-to-device communication, the terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to transmit and receive a signal; and a controller configured to control the communication unit to: receive information relating to the device-to-device communication from a base station, the information relating to the device-to-device communication including information relating to discovery signal resource configuration information and information for allocating a resource on discovery signal resource configuration information, transmit the discovery signal resource configuration information to another terminal, which does not receive the information relating to the device-to-device communication from the base station, based on the information relating to the device-to-device communication, and transmit a discovery signal associated with information on the terminal to the another terminal using at least one resource identified based on the discovery signal resource configuration information, after the discovery signal resource configuration information is transmitted.
A device (UE) for device-to-device (D2D) communication has a communication unit for sending and receiving signals and a controller. The controller makes the communication unit receive D2D communication information from a base station which specifies discovery signal resource configuration and how to allocate resources within that configuration. Then the controller makes the communication unit transmit the discovery signal resource configuration to another device that doesn't receive the base station information. Finally, it makes the communication unit send a discovery signal (containing the device's information) using the resources specified in the resource configuration.
14. The terminal of claim 13 , wherein the information relating to the device-to-device communication further comprises at least one of information on a communication resource allocated for the device-to-device communication, information on the discovery signal, and information on whether the terminal should transmit the discovery signal resource configuration information.
The device-to-device communication device from the previous description uses information received from the base station that further includes communication resources specifically allocated for device-to-device communication, information related to the discovery signal itself (e.g. format), and an indication of whether the device should transmit the discovery signal resource configuration to neighboring devices at all.
15. The terminal of claim 13 , wherein transmitting the discovery signal resource configuration information includes further transmitting at least one of: frequency information of the discovery signal, type information of the discovery signal, an identifier of the terminal transmitting the discovery signal resource configuration information, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and information on a reference signal.
The device from the previous description includes other information when it transmits the discovery signal resource configuration: the frequency of the discovery signal, the signal's type or format, the transmitting device's identifier, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used, and reference signal information.
16. The terminal of claim 13 , wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information included in a synchronization signal, and wherein the controller configures the synchronization signal to further include a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal, the first synchronization signal comprising information on a sub-frame resource usable for transmission and reception of the discovery signal, and the second synchronization signal comprising information on a relation between a current radio frame and a next radio frame including the discovery signal resource configuration information.
In the device from previous description, the discovery signal resource configuration is included within a synchronization signal. The controller configures the synchronization signal to have two parts: a first signal containing information about sub-frame resources for discovery signal transmission/reception and a second signal describing the relationship between the current radio frame and the *next* radio frame that contains the discovery signal resource configuration.
17. The terminal of claim 13 , wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in a synchronization signal, and wherein the controller configures the synchronization signal to further include a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal, the first synchronization signal comprising a period of a radio frame including the discovery signal resource configuration information, an offset of the radio frame within the period, and a sub-frame resource usable for transmission and reception of the discovery signal within the radio frame, and the second synchronization signal comprising information on an index of a current radio frame.
The discovery signal resource configuration from the previous description is included in a synchronization signal. The controller structures the synchronization signal into two parts: The first part provides the radio frame's period including the configuration, an offset of the frame within the period, and the specific sub-frame resources within that frame for discovery signal transmission/reception. The second signal component contains an index identifying the current radio frame.
18. The terminal of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to include the discovery signal resource configuration information in all radio frames or in one or more select radio frames according to a pre-defined period, and, within a radio frame having the discovery signal resource configuration information, the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in a part or all of symbol intervals of at least one sub-frame.
The controller in the previous description includes the discovery signal resource configuration in either all radio frames or select radio frames based on a predefined period. Within a radio frame that *does* contain the configuration, the configuration data is included in a portion or all of the symbol intervals within at least one sub-frame.
19. The terminal of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the communication unit to monitor a device-to-device communication synchronization request signal, the monitoring being configured by the information relating to device-to-device communication from the base station, and upon receiving the device-to-device communication synchronization request signal from the another terminal, to report the device-to-device communication synchronization request to the base station.
The controller of the previous device makes the communication unit monitor for a device-to-device synchronization request signal. The base station configures *how* this monitoring is performed. If the communication unit receives this request signal from another device, the controller then reports this synchronization request back to the base station.
20. A terminal for performing device-to-device communication, the terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to transmit and receive signals; and a controller configured to control the communication unit to: receive, at the terminal, which does not receive information relating to the device-to-device communication from a base station, discovery signal resource configuration information from another terminal, which does receive the information relating to the device-to-device communication from the base station, the information relating to the device-to-device communication including information relating to discovery signal resource configuration information and information for allocating a resource on the discovery signal resource configuration information, and receive a discovery signal associated with information on the another terminal from the another terminal using at least one resource identified based on the discovery signal resource configuration information after the discovery signal resource configuration information is received.
This invention relates to device-to-device (D2D) communication in wireless networks, specifically addressing scenarios where a terminal lacks direct communication with a base station for D2D-related information. The problem solved is enabling such terminals to participate in D2D communication by obtaining necessary resource configuration details from other terminals that have received this information from a base station. The terminal includes a communication unit for transmitting and receiving signals and a controller that manages the communication unit. The controller receives discovery signal resource configuration information from another terminal that has obtained this information from a base station. This configuration information includes details on resource allocation for D2D discovery signals. The terminal then uses this information to receive a discovery signal from the other terminal, which identifies the other terminal and is transmitted using resources specified in the received configuration. This approach allows terminals without direct base station communication to still engage in D2D communication by leveraging information relayed from other terminals. The invention ensures efficient resource utilization and enables seamless D2D operations in heterogeneous network environments.
21. The terminal of claim 20 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the communication unit to transmit a device-to-device synchronization request signal for requesting a synchronization signal, to the another terminal, and wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in the synchronization signal.
The device from the previous description has a controller that makes the communication unit transmit a device-to-device synchronization request signal, requesting a synchronization signal, to another device. The discovery signal resource configuration is included within that synchronization signal.
22. A base station comprising: a communication unit configured to transmit and receive signals; and a controller configured to control the communication unit to receive a device-to-device communication service request from a terminal and transmit information relating to the device-to-device communication to the terminal, wherein the information relating to the device-to-device communication includes information relating to discovery signal resource configuration information and information for allocating a resource on discovery signal resource configuration information, wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is transmitted by the terminal to the another terminal, which does not receive the information relating to the device-to-device communication from the base station, and wherein a discovery signal, which is associated with information on the terminal, is transmitted by the terminal to the another terminal using at least one resource identified based on the discovery signal resource configuration information, after the discovery signal resource configuration information is transmitted.
A base station has a communication unit and a controller. The controller receives a device-to-device (D2D) communication service request from a device, then makes the communication unit transmit D2D information to that device. This information includes discovery signal resource configuration details and allocation information. The device then transmits this resource configuration to another device that *doesn't* receive information from the base station. Finally, the original device sends a discovery signal using the configured resources.
23. The base station of claim 22 , wherein the controller configures monitoring of a device-to-device communication synchronization request signal and a resource for the monitoring for the terminal, in order to determine whether it is necessary to transmit a synchronization signal, and upon receiving a report of detection of the device-to-device communication synchronization request from the terminal, transmits the information relating to the device-to-device communication, wherein the discovery signal resource configuration information is included in the synchronization signal.
The base station from the previous description configures a device to monitor for a device-to-device synchronization request signal and allocates a resource for this monitoring to determine whether a synchronization signal should be sent. Upon receiving a report from the device that it has detected such a request, the base station sends the device-to-device communication information, including the discovery signal resource configuration within the synchronization signal.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 28, 2014
May 23, 2017
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